1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to feeders and more particularly to dampers for use on vibratory feeders.
2. Description of Related Art
Electromagnetic vibratory feeders are commonly used to provide product to a packaging machine. Multiple units of vibratory feeders may be aligned either linearly or peripherally about the packaging machine head and product may be fed into individual weighing buckets or hoppers. The buckets may be part of the packing machine itself or may be external to a packaging machine. In either case, product is fed into the packaging machine so that the product may be packaged. There may be, for example, twelve vibratory machines and a corresponding twelve buckets which feed product into the packaging machine.
The weights of the individual buckets are scanned by a central processing unit to provide a total weight within the preset tolerances for packaging. That is, the weight of the individual buckets are scanned to provide a combination such that the total weight of a given number of buckets falls within the predetermined tolerance for the packaging. Due to the fact that the vibratory feeders dribble (i.e., product may continue to flow slightly after the vibratory feeder is turning off because of a residual vibration action of the feeder), the contents in an individual bucket may be slightly off of the targeted amount. Because of the statistical variance of the weights provided by the vibratory equipment to the individual buckets, typically the combination of three to four buckets may be needed to provide the total weight desired.
Conventional means of damping vibratory mechanical momentum to reduce the effects of feeder dribble include the use of rubber composite type dampers or magnetic dampers. These dampers may be on at all times which increases the required input energy to operate the vibratory equipment. Therefore, it is desirable to have a damper assembly for use with vibratory equipment which is only activated selectively in order to reduce power consumption.
It is also desirable to have a damper assembly which may be used in conjunction with vibratory equipment such that the weight provided from the vibratory equipment may be better controlled. This may statistically allow the use of less buckets to achieve a total weight within the specified tolerances of the product being packaged and may allow the packaging machine to process faster and achieve more output in a given period of time.